Box-fastener



E. W. STAMM.

BOX FASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16. 1919.

1 3416, 5 66?, Patented J uly13, 192% //V Vf/V 70 W Saw/1,

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

ERNEST 'W. STAMM, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

BOX-FASTENEB.

Application filed June 16.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Ennns'r W. STAMM, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inBox-Fastoners, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to box fasteners of the generaltype shown in myprior'United States Patent No. 1,235,075,dated July 31, 1917.

The main object of my present invention is to provide a box fastener which is so constructed that the catch canbe released by pressing downwardly on a portion of the catch which'is arranged in such a position that thefinger of the person whois opening the box naturally comes in contact with the catch during the operation of inserting the finger through thehole in the lid of the box.

Another object is to provide a box fastener that embodies the principal desirable charactistics of the box fastener described in my prior patent above referred to, but which is so constructed that it is more simple, stronger and less expensive to manufacture than my prior box fastener. Other objects and desirable features of my invention will be hereinafter pointed out.

Figure 1 of the drawings is avertical sectional view of a box or shipping case provided with a fastener constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the member on the underside of the lid with which the catch cooperates.

Figs. 3 and 4: are a side elevational view and a rear elevational view, respectively, of the member on the 'lid.

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the catch that is adapted to be mounted on the front wall of the box; and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1, illustrating the method of releasing the catch.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate the preferred form of my invention, A designates the movable lid or cover of a box or shipping case, and B designates the front wall of the box. Cooperating members are arranged on the inside of the front wall and on the underside of the lid for locking the lid in its closed position, and an opening 1 is formed in the lid so as to permit said cooperating members to be disengaged to Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented *July 13, 1920.

1919. Serial No. 304,445.

release the lid. A seal 0, which preferably consists of a piece of cardboard or other suitable material, 1s arranged on the inside of the lid over'the opening 1 therein, so as 'toprevent'the lid from being released and raised without first breaking the seal C.

The cooperating members on the inside of the box that hold the lid A closed consist of a catch D pivotally mounted on'the inner side of the front wall B of the box and provided at its upper end with a hook '2 anda memberE arranged on the underside of the lid'inproximity to the'front wall of the box and provided at its front end with a wedge-shaped portion 3 that has a hole or notch 4 therein for receivingthe hook 2 on the upper end of the catch D. The member E is so arranged that when thelid is moved into its closed position the wedgesha'ped portion 3 on said member will pass between the front wall of the box and the hook 2 on the upper end of the catch D and rock said catch D downwardly sufliciently to permit-the hook Qthereoii to snap into the opening at in the wedge-shaped portion 3 on the member E when the lid of the box reaches its closed position. The catch D can be formed in various ways without departing from the spirit of my invention, but it is pivotally mounted on the front wall B of the box and'is so designed that the lower end portion of same will normally occupy such aposition that when the person who opens thebox forces his finger downwardly through the seal C, said fingerwill engage the lowerend .portion of the catch, and thus rock the catch sufliciently to disengage "the hook 2 on same from its coiiperating part 3 on the lid member E, as shown in Fig. 6. This is a very desirable feature of a box fastener, aS it overcomes the necessity of the user exerting upward pressure on a device arranged inside of the box to release the lidafter the users finger has been inby nails or other suitable fastening devices 6, and to which the catch D is pivotally connected by a pin 7 that passes transversely through the catch D and through ears 8 on the plate that embrace said catch. In the form of my invention herein shown the catch D is substantially channel-shaped in cross section andis so formed that the rear edge 9 of same is-curved or of substantially cam shape, the pivot-7 being so. arranged that the catch D will normally occupy an inclined position, as shown in Fig. 1, with its lower end portion extending in approximately vertical alinement with the front slde of the hole 1 in the lid of the box. The

catch D is held in its normal positionby means of a leaf spring 10 arranged on the inside of same and connected at its upper end to, the plate5 preferably by interlac ng the upper end portion of said spring through two parallel holes formed in the plate 5 at a point above the pivot 7, as shown in Fig. 1. p

The member E on the lid of the box with which the catch C cooperates is preferably stamped from sheet metal, and the wedgeshaped portion 3 thereon is formed by bending' the end portion of said member downwardly and then upwardly. The central portion of the member is depressed so as y to form a pocketll for the seal C, and the [a hole through which the users finger passes during. the operation of breaking the seal.

On the rear end of the member E are de-..

7 pending flanges 13 that prevent the seal C from being moved rearwardly out of the pocket 11 when the lid of the box is closed.

. If desired, the plate 5 on the front wall of '45 the box that carries the catch can be provided with a forwardly-projecting flange 5 that laps .over the upper edge of the front wall B'of the box and which is provided with an upwardly-projecting extension 5 that. has an opening 13 in; same through which a sealing wire 1A can be inserted along the underside of the lid A and then up- 7 wardly through the opening 1 and over the top side of the lid, as shown in Fig. 1, thereby preventing the lid from being raised sufficiently to remove the contents of the box 1 without breaking thesealing wire 14.

' To open the box the operator inserts his finger through the opening 1 in the lid so as to break the seal C and rockthe catch Ddownwardly and rearwardly sufficiently to disengage the hook 2 on the upper end ofthe catchfrom the member E on the lid.

' The upper edge of the hook2 is inclined or curved slightly'so that the wedge on the lid member E will bear upon the upper end of the catch D and rock the catch sufiiciently to permit the hook thereon to snap into the hole 4; in the lid member when the lid is depressed.

In addition to embodying the desirable features of the box fastener illustrated in my prior patent previously referred to, my present fastener is of such design that it is strong and rugged; it can be manufactured at a low cost; the cardboard seal C can be slipped in from the front side of the member E onthe lid of the box and the catch D isso constructed and arranged that it can be released by exerting pressure on same in the same direction that the users finger moves during the operation. of breaking the cardboard seal that extends over the hole 1 in the lid of the box.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and, desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A box or shipping case provided with a hingedlid that has a hole in same through which the user inserts his finger to release the lid, and a pivotally mounted catch for said lid arranged on the inner side of the front wall of the box and provided with a portion arranged below its pivot, on which the operator presses downwardly so as to render said catch inoperative.

2. A box fastener, comprising a pivotally mounted catch adapted to be mounted on the inner side of the front wall of the box and provided at its upper end with a substantially hook shaped. part, and a member adapted to be arranged on the underside of the lid of the box and provided with a cooperating part for said hook that lies between the front wall of the box and said hook when the lid of the box is fastened, said catch being provided with a portion on which pressure can be exerted downwardly so as to rock said catch in a direction to move the hook thereon rearwardly away from the front wall of the box. i

3. A box fastener, comprisinga pivotally mounted catch adapted to be arranged on the inside-of thefront wall of the box and provi ded at its upper end with a hook, a spring that exerts pressure on said catch in a direction tending to force the hook on same toward the front wall of the box and a lid member having a substantially wedgeshaped part positioned between said hook and the front wall of the box andprovided with an opening into which the hook .on said catch projects when the lid of the box is moved, into its closed position, said catch having aportion on which the user places his finger and presses downwardly during the operation of releasing the lid.

4:. A box fastener, comprising a pivotally mounted, spring-pressed catch adapted to be arranged on. the front wall of the box and provided with a rear edge that is curved, a substantially hook shaped part on the upper edge of said catch that projects toward the front wall of the box, and a member adapted to be arranged on the underside of the lid of the box and provided with a hole into which said hook projects when the lid of the box is moved into its closed position.

5. A box fastener, comprising a pivotally mounted catch adapted to be arranged on the inner side of the front wall of the box and being of substantially channel shape in transverse cross section, a hooked-shaped part at the upper end of said catch that projeets toward the front wall of the box, a member adapted to be arranged on the underside of the lid and provided with a part that cooperates with the hook on said catch, and a leaf spring arranged inside of said catch and exerting pressure on same in a direction tending to hold said hook-shaped part in engagement with the lid member.

6. A box fastener, comprising a plate adapted to be arranged on the inside of the front wall of a box, a substantially cam shaped catch pivotally mounted on said plate and provided at its upper end with a hook that projects toward the front wall of the box, and a leaf spring connected to said plate for exerting pressure on said catch in a direction to press the hook on said catch toward said plate.

ERNEST W. STAMM. 

